Trolley-wheel.



No. 66|,600- nted Nov. i3, |900. T. l. DUFFY & C. S. MGMAHA TROLLEYwHEEL.

[Application led July 16, 1900) (No Model.)

UNITED STATES" SPATENT OFFICE VTHOMAS I. DUFFY AND CHARLES S. MCMAHAN,OF CHICAGO, IIJLINOIS SAID DUFFY ASSIGNOR TO SAID MCMAHAN;

TROLLEY-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming pm or Letters Patent No. 661,600, dated November13, ieo. Application filed July 16, 1900. Serial No. 23,789. KNO model-3To all whom t may con/cern: tail of our invention. Fig. 6 is la planview Be it known that we; THOMAS I. DUFFY of the same.l Fig. 7 is asectional View simiand CHARLES SIMS MCMAHAN, citizens of the lar to Fig.5, illustrating means of applying United States, residing at Chicago, inthe a supplemental washer thereto. 5 county of Cook and State ofIllinois, have in- As shown in the said drawings, A indicates vented newand useful Improvements in Eleca trolleypole. trical Contact-Springs forTrolley-Wheels, of B indicates the trolley'sharp,of familiar form whichthe following is a full, clear, and eX- and secured on the outer end ofsaid trolleyact description, reference being had to the acpole andprovided with upwardly-extending 6o 1o companying drawings, and to theletters of lateral arms b b, provided at the upper ex reference markedthereon, which form a part tremities of the same with a transverse boreof this specification. adapted to receive the trolley-pivot b. A

Our invention relates to improvements in grooved trolley-wheel C,offamiliar form,is roelectrical contact-springs for trolley-wheelstatively secured on said trolley-pivot. The t5 of that class adapted tohold said trolley-wheel width or distance between the outer ends of trueupon its bearing and at all times to prosaid harp-arms b b is somewhatgreater than vide a perfect electrical contact therewith the length ofthe axis of said trolley-wheel, and with the trolley-harp. Heretofore ithas thereby providing a space between the inbeen usual to employleaf-springs of conductner surface of said harp-arms and the hub 7o 2oing material for this purpose, said springs beof said wheel sucient toreceive the spring ing riveted in the lower part of a harp, on D. Saidspring is preferably constructed of each side thereof, and extendingupwardly spring-copper or other suitable conducting and adapted normallyto press centrally on material and is provided with a central apeachside of said trolley-Wheel. Springs of erture adapted to receive thetrolley-pivot. 25 this sort have been `subject to many objec- The springis bowed or crowned outwardly tions, one of which was their short life,the near its center and adapted to press with its same being subject notonly to the frictional outer side against the inner side of the harpwearat the axis of the trolley-wheel, butalso arm adjacent to the pivot-pinand equally inasmuch as the same extend' downwardly on spaced about saidcenter. As'shown in Fig. 1, 8o 3o each side between the trolley-wheeland the a plurality of radial arms d d are provided, harp-arms the samewere frequently subject which, as shown, are slightly upturned at the towear from contact with the periphery of outer ends to afford a largercontact-surface the wheel. Said springs are in this way frewith thetrolley-wheel, which said arms firmly quently cut in two, therebydestroying the engage near its rim. Obviously any desired 35 eiiciencyof the contact, entailing in consenumber of arms may be employed; butprefquence not only a considerable item of eX- erably three or more areused to hold the pense for repairs, but when delays are controlley-wheeltrue upon its pivot after the sidered a serious and vexatious source ofansame has become slightly worn. noyance as well. Our invention obviatesWith the construction described any de- 9o 4o these difficulties andconsists in 'the matters sired pressure may be brought to bear uponhereinafter described,and more fully pointed the trolley-wheel and inthe inner side of the out and defined in the appended claims. harp-arm,thereby assuring at all ktimes per- In the drawings, Figure 1 is aperspective fect contact. Said springs will not be subview of a deviceembodying our invention. ject to wearing contact with the rim of the 45Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same, taken wheel, inasmuch as thefrictional area is apon a plane of the axis. Fig. 3 is a sideeleproximately equal to that at the center bearvation provided with oneform of the contacting. The distance of the extremities of said spring.Fig. 4 is a similar View showing said arms from the pivot afford aconsiderable levelectrical contact-spring as provided with erage,thereby insuring that with approxiroo 5o three radial arms. Fig. 5 is alongitudinal mately equal .frictional contact said spring sectional viewof the spring,illustratingade will turn against the inner surface of theharp-arm. Means are provided for protecting said central part of thespring-from wear against the inner side of the arm as follows:

One or more small apertures are providedv through said spring adjacentto the pivot-aperture, and av Washer E, apertured to corre-v spond withsaid pivot-aperture, is pro-vided with lugs e e, adapted to be insertedin said contact-surface between said two parts is of' necessity, owingto their frictionalcontact at all times, bright, and said parts beingpressed firmly together, the said washer, if desired, may be madematerially Yharder than the spring propelI without afecting itsconducting power. If preferred,said washerfmay be retained in a centraldepression similar to that illustrated in Fig. 7 and when placed Withinthe same maybe efcientl'y held thereinby contact with said spring andthe harparm. lt' preferred, however, the same may obviously be securedin said depression by means of lugs, as before described, or any otherpreferred means of securing the said washer in position maybe used aspreferred, Obviouslyif said Washer is not-securedrigidly to said springthe same may be renewed at intervals ata materially less cost than'thecost of said spring.

We claim as our inventionl, An electrical contact-spring fortrolley-`Wheels, comprising a plate of conductingmaterial provided with a centralpivot-aperture and adapted to pressvagainst thev inner'side of aharp-:arm adjacent to-said pivot,a contact-Washer also of conductingmaterial -secured centrally on said spring y,'mdiadapted for contactwith said harp-arm anda plurality of electrical conducting radialspring-arms integral with said plate and curvedon one side of the planeof the sameand adapted to engage with theiry outer ends a trolley/:Wheelnear its periphery at a point equally spacedabout the Wheel andacting topress said wheel oppositely from the harp-arm.

l2.' An electrical contact-spring for trolleywheels, com prisinganoutwardly-.dished plate of conducting material adapted to be securedona-trolley-pi-vot between'the harp-arm and the trolley-wheel andprovided on its outer side with a depression adapted to receive a Washeralso of conducting material adapted for contact with a harp-arm atapoint adjacent-t0 the trolley-pivot, a plurality of inwardly-curvedradial spring-arms integral with said plate and adapted to engage withtheironter ends and press inwardly a trolley'- wheel 'or the like, saidarms being spaced at equal distances around the Wheel.

3, The combination with a trolley-harp hav; ing a trolley-wheel pivotedtherein, ol' an electrical vcontact-spring centrally apertured andadapted to be secured on each side of said trolley-Wheel between the hub-of thesame and-an arm .of saidharp and ysprings being eutwardlydishednear the center/,and adapted to pass outwardly against the harp-arm andhaving plurality of inwardly-.bent 'radial arms .adapted `t0 engage Iandpressing inwaIIllyon-said trolley-wheel near the periphery ef thes-ame,.aud a washer of conducting material removably secured on thetrolleypivot between .the t\ =olleywheel and the harp and actingrtto-afford electrical contact with each, While obviating wear on thespring.

4. .The combination witha trolley-harp having atrolley-wheel pivotedthereon, of an electrical contact-spring centrally apertured-and adapted.to -be secured on-eachside 'of said 'trolley-wheel between the hub ofthe same and .said harp-:arm said springs being outwardly dished near'the center and 4adapted te press outwardly onthe harp-arm and havyingla lplurality vof equally-spaced inward lybentiadial arms adapted toengage and pressing inwardly on said trolley-heel near the periphery ofthe saine, and a hardened washer i of conductingmateral bedded in saidspring and removablylsecured 4.to the same between the samefand theharp-arm.

In testimony whereof we have heren nto subi scribed our nam-es in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

THOMAS I. DUFFY. CHARLES S. MCMAHAN. In presence of- ;CHARLEVS W. HILLS,

LOUIS J. DELsoN.

